My Heart in Your Hands
by Princess of Monkeys
Chapter 18
Hooray for reviewers! caliente, rogue fan, rogue writer, and ishandahalf- you guys rule! Reviews make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
There is a real Lestat's coffee shop, here in my hometown. It's just a good name for a goth hangout, so I borrowed it. The real one is kinda like the one in my story, and it's in the exact same type of neighborhood- hooray for real world inspiration! I could totally see Rogue hanging out there. (Is that a bad sign, being able to imagine cartoon characters hanging out at real world places? I hope not- I'm already crazy enough as it is.)
Rogue finished her chicken, chucked the paper plate in the garbage, and checked the clock. It was a little after 10:30- time to get going before anyone caught her and wondered where she was going this late at night.
Moving stealthily down the hall with skills she'd never known she possessed, she managed to make it to the front door without encountering anyone else. Slipping outside, she mentally congratulated herself- and ran straight into the immovable mass that was Logan.
He looked down at her, eyebrow raised, a beer in one hand and a smoking cigar in the other, and said "Just where do ya think you're goin', Stripes?"
"Out," Rogue replied tersely, cringing inside. _Logan! Of all the people I was trying to avoid... He'll never let me out!"
"I can see that. Mind telling me where?" It wasn't a request.
Thinking quickly, she said "Ah'm goin' ta meet a guy from school, ovah at that coffee place me an' Risty used ta go to." Hating herself for the acting job she was about to pull, she continued with "Ah jus' din't want any of the othahs ta find out- they'd nevah let me live it down!"
After a moment, Logan stepped back, allowing her to pass. "All right Stripes, you can go, but we're havin' a little talk about sneakin' out tomorrow."
Nodding, she ran down the steps, more relieved than she wanted to admit. Pausing to enter the gate code, she waited for the gates to swing back, tapping her foot impatiently. She didn't want Logan to change his mind, or ask her who she was going to meet- that man could smell an outright lie a mile away- literally!
She tried to tell herself that she was just glad Remy wasn't going to get hurt, since she knew what Logan would do to the Cajun if he found out who she was meeting. But that annoying little voice spoke up in the back of her mind with 'yeah, right. Admit it, you actually want to see the swamp rat.' Firmly denying everything, she walked out the gate at a leisurely pace. She didn't want to get there too early. Even though they'd never formally agreed on a time, she figured she'd meet him at midnight, since that's when they'd met before. On a sudden impulse, she quickened her pace. If she hurried, she'd have time enough to go to the coffee shop, like she'd said. She hadn't had a decent cup of coffee in weeks, because the sludge Logan brewed in the mornings was undrinkable for anyone who didn't have accelerated healing capabilities.
A motorcycle flew by her, going way too fast, and blew her hair into a tangled mess. Feeling a momentary flicker of annoyed vanity, she smoothed it down and pushed it out of her eyes. By the time she'd restored some semblance of order to it, the motorcycle had been parked by the side of the road, and a familiar figure in a trench coat was standing next to it, arms folded over his chest.
Rolling her eyes and feeling a strange fluttering in her stomach, she took her time walking towards him, calling out "Ah shoulda known it'd be you terrorizin' the neighborhood on that thing."
He watched her walk towards him, and all he could think was _mon dieu!_ He almost hadn't recognized her when he'd ridden past- only her hair gave her away. Gone was the overdone makeup, the dismal monochromatic black- the creature walking toward him was more beautiful than even he'd imagined. All he could do was stare in amazement. By the time she got close enough to hear him, he'd found his voice again. "Y' look better w'thout all de gunk on y' face."
Rogue gave him a strange look, like she hadn't expected him to say that, and responded "Ah din't do it f' you, Swamp Rat."
His only answer to that was "Good." He gestured towards the motorcycle.
Suddenly suspicious, she asked "Where ya gonna take me?"
Remy gave an audible sigh. "Where evah y' were goin'." He gave her a look tinged with frustration. For a moment she considered not telling him- it had been her and Risty's place, after all- but she hadn't gone to all the trouble of escaping Logan for nothing. _And Risty isn't coming back,_ she finally admitted to herself.
"Ah was goin' ta the coffee house- ya know where it is?" She asked, a strangely pained expression on her face.
He nodded once, knowing she didn't mean the local Starbucks, and got back on the bike. Pulling up her gloves and tugging down her sleeves, she settled in behind him, not without some apprehension. What if she touched him while they were riding? They'd both die!
She set her arms loosely around him, and was caught off guard when he pulled her up close to him and repositioned her arms to lie tightly around his body. "Wouldn't wan' y' ta fall off now," he said, a smirk evident in his voice. With a roar, they were off.
It was exhilarating to be flying through the night. The sky was clear, and the stars flashed by in bright white streaks overhead. The wind whistled past her ears, blowing her hair back like a multicolored streamer to flutter behind her, and she tried to enjoy it, to just give herself over to the experience of the moment, but her mind refused to empty its contents.
There was something dangerously intimate about being this close to him; it was closer than she'd been to anyone outside the Institute in longer than she could remember. Surrendering to the whim, she leaned her head against his back, trying unsuccessfully to deny how happy she was to be near him.
Remy was amazed to feel her leaning up against him. He'd been sure she would balk at getting on the bike with him, but as always, she'd surprised him. Sometimes he wondered if she really knew what she wanted- sometimes she seemed almost to like him, and other times, it was as if they were still enemies facing off for battle. He wondered, too, what it must be like, to have all those other people's lives crowding her mind. Did they ever go away? Did she lose herself among them? It wasn't anything he ever wanted to experience first hand.
Rogue pulled away from him as they came into the downtown area. Moving through the shopping district, past the mall and the movie theatre, he turned down an alley behind the Gut Bomb, and within moments, they were there.
Lestat's coffee lounge was small and dark, located on a dingy street full of thrift shops and seedy bars. Remy parked the bike right out front, and immediately Rogue climbed off. Remy offered her his arm, in true gentlemanly fashion, but she disdained it, crossing her own arms over her chest and giving him one of her looks. _Oh, now we're back to that again,_ he thought unenthusiastically; but he merely shrugged and held the door open for her.
They stepped inside, and into another world. The walls were draped with tasseled fabrics, gypsy- like; mismatched overstuffed chairs were grouped together around small tables; and the place was lit almost entirely by candles, giving it a smoky yet ethereal ambiance. He could see why she would like it- it reminded him of home in some small way, and he decided he liked it too.
A gaunt, black draped girl perched on a stool upon the stage, reading aloud from a red velvet notebook. Sparing her a glance, Rogue navigated the sea of tables and chairs with the ease of familiarity, making her way to the counter to order her coffee. Remy followed her, digging into a trench coat pocket for money. She refused to let him pay for her drink, giving him her usual scowl. The man at the register, whose name tag read 'Eddie,' looked at the two of them together, and commented "First date, huh?"
Rogue declared, quite louder than she'd intended, "We are not on a date!" She received a few curious looks from people at nearby tables, and a death glare from the girl on stage.
Remy leaned in close to her and whispered "Well, mebbe we should be, hmm chere?"
Rogue's response to that was a sound of frustration and a few choice phrases containing enough swear words to make a sailor blush. Turning her back on him, she stormed over to the farthest table in the back and slumped heavily in on of the chairs around it.
Unfazed, Remy said to Eddie "Oh, she wants me. She jus' be in denial 'bout it."
Eddie shrugged in understanding and said "Women," rolling his eyes. Then, "what's your order man?"
Remy ordered, paid, and carried both drinks to the table. As he approached, he saw Rogue looking around pensively, an unhappy expression on her face. Even though she was back to being mean to him, he wanted to cheer her up, and as he placed her coffee in front of her, he teased her. In a high, mocking falsetto, he said "Oh, Remy, yer so sweet an' wonderful, thank y' for bringin' me mah coffee-"
Rolling her eyes, Rogue muttered "Thanks for bringin' me mah coffee." But at least she was smiling.
"See now, was dat so hard chere?"
"Yes!" She retorted.
He sighed. "Why y' bein' so difficult?"
"Ah'm the one bein' difficult? Yer the one who thinks we're on a date! If ya wanna date someone so bad, why don' ya try the coffee guy? He seems ta be yer type," she commented acerbically.
"What, y' jealous?" He asked, mocking her.
"Ya wish!"
He smiled at her. "No, seriously chere, y' be Remy's type. Definitely not de coffee homme."
Mischief dancing in her eyes, Rogue came back with "Remy, Ah wouldn't date ya if ya were the last man on Earth."
Undaunted, he replied "Dat mean Remy still have a chance, eh?"
"Yer so impossible!"
"'M bein' impossible, chere," he replied, giving her a look of innocence.
Rogue couldn't help but laugh. "Swamp Rat, the innocent look don' work when ya got demon eyes!"
He just gave up and drank his coffee. She took a sip as well, and her eyes went back to scanning the room. Noticing, Remy asked her "Who y' be lookin' for?"
Rogue stared down into the oversized coffee mug held between her gloved hands as if it held all the answers in the world. Looking up at him again, face devoid of all humor, she said slowly "Ah'm lookin for Risty- mah best friend. We used ta come here all the time."
Her tone of voice hit him hard, and for the first time, he fully realized how much he cared about her. It actually bothered him to see her sad, made him want to rush out and be a hero and find her missing friend, just to make her happy again. But an uncomfortable suspicion was nagging at the back of his mind, and somehow, he didn't think being a hero in this case was going to be wise. Coming out of his thoughts, he prompted her. "Use t' come here?"
She nodded. She jus' kinda disappeared after.... well, everythin,'" she said lamely, not really wanting to bring up the battle or their roles in it. He nodded at her, feeling the same way, and she continued. "It jus' was so strange- she always told me everythin' before, so why din't she tell me she was leavin'? She was an exchange student, mebbe her parents made her go back home- but why'd she jus' go? Was she mad 'cause she found out about me bein' a mutant from the t.v.? The whole thing's jus' so weird- Ah got the address of the people she was s'posed ta be stayin with from her file at school, but I musta been wrong, 'cause there was no one there."
Softly, so quietly Remy had to strain to hear her, she whispered "She always jus' understood everythin'. Nobody's evah understood me lahke she did, an' now she's gone."
Remy just nodded, preoccupied, as thoughts swirled in his head. There had been a notation in Rogue's file about the exchange student- a very curious notation. According to immigration, nobody by the name Risty Wylde had entered the country on a student visa. Even stranger, there were no British records of her, either- not even a birth certificate. Technically, Rogue's best friend didn't exist.
by Princess of Monkeys
Chapter 18
Hooray for reviewers! caliente, rogue fan, rogue writer, and ishandahalf- you guys rule! Reviews make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
There is a real Lestat's coffee shop, here in my hometown. It's just a good name for a goth hangout, so I borrowed it. The real one is kinda like the one in my story, and it's in the exact same type of neighborhood- hooray for real world inspiration! I could totally see Rogue hanging out there. (Is that a bad sign, being able to imagine cartoon characters hanging out at real world places? I hope not- I'm already crazy enough as it is.)
Rogue finished her chicken, chucked the paper plate in the garbage, and checked the clock. It was a little after 10:30- time to get going before anyone caught her and wondered where she was going this late at night.
Moving stealthily down the hall with skills she'd never known she possessed, she managed to make it to the front door without encountering anyone else. Slipping outside, she mentally congratulated herself- and ran straight into the immovable mass that was Logan.
He looked down at her, eyebrow raised, a beer in one hand and a smoking cigar in the other, and said "Just where do ya think you're goin', Stripes?"
"Out," Rogue replied tersely, cringing inside. _Logan! Of all the people I was trying to avoid... He'll never let me out!"
"I can see that. Mind telling me where?" It wasn't a request.
Thinking quickly, she said "Ah'm goin' ta meet a guy from school, ovah at that coffee place me an' Risty used ta go to." Hating herself for the acting job she was about to pull, she continued with "Ah jus' din't want any of the othahs ta find out- they'd nevah let me live it down!"
After a moment, Logan stepped back, allowing her to pass. "All right Stripes, you can go, but we're havin' a little talk about sneakin' out tomorrow."
Nodding, she ran down the steps, more relieved than she wanted to admit. Pausing to enter the gate code, she waited for the gates to swing back, tapping her foot impatiently. She didn't want Logan to change his mind, or ask her who she was going to meet- that man could smell an outright lie a mile away- literally!
She tried to tell herself that she was just glad Remy wasn't going to get hurt, since she knew what Logan would do to the Cajun if he found out who she was meeting. But that annoying little voice spoke up in the back of her mind with 'yeah, right. Admit it, you actually want to see the swamp rat.' Firmly denying everything, she walked out the gate at a leisurely pace. She didn't want to get there too early. Even though they'd never formally agreed on a time, she figured she'd meet him at midnight, since that's when they'd met before. On a sudden impulse, she quickened her pace. If she hurried, she'd have time enough to go to the coffee shop, like she'd said. She hadn't had a decent cup of coffee in weeks, because the sludge Logan brewed in the mornings was undrinkable for anyone who didn't have accelerated healing capabilities.
A motorcycle flew by her, going way too fast, and blew her hair into a tangled mess. Feeling a momentary flicker of annoyed vanity, she smoothed it down and pushed it out of her eyes. By the time she'd restored some semblance of order to it, the motorcycle had been parked by the side of the road, and a familiar figure in a trench coat was standing next to it, arms folded over his chest.
Rolling her eyes and feeling a strange fluttering in her stomach, she took her time walking towards him, calling out "Ah shoulda known it'd be you terrorizin' the neighborhood on that thing."
He watched her walk towards him, and all he could think was _mon dieu!_ He almost hadn't recognized her when he'd ridden past- only her hair gave her away. Gone was the overdone makeup, the dismal monochromatic black- the creature walking toward him was more beautiful than even he'd imagined. All he could do was stare in amazement. By the time she got close enough to hear him, he'd found his voice again. "Y' look better w'thout all de gunk on y' face."
Rogue gave him a strange look, like she hadn't expected him to say that, and responded "Ah din't do it f' you, Swamp Rat."
His only answer to that was "Good." He gestured towards the motorcycle.
Suddenly suspicious, she asked "Where ya gonna take me?"
Remy gave an audible sigh. "Where evah y' were goin'." He gave her a look tinged with frustration. For a moment she considered not telling him- it had been her and Risty's place, after all- but she hadn't gone to all the trouble of escaping Logan for nothing. _And Risty isn't coming back,_ she finally admitted to herself.
"Ah was goin' ta the coffee house- ya know where it is?" She asked, a strangely pained expression on her face.
He nodded once, knowing she didn't mean the local Starbucks, and got back on the bike. Pulling up her gloves and tugging down her sleeves, she settled in behind him, not without some apprehension. What if she touched him while they were riding? They'd both die!
She set her arms loosely around him, and was caught off guard when he pulled her up close to him and repositioned her arms to lie tightly around his body. "Wouldn't wan' y' ta fall off now," he said, a smirk evident in his voice. With a roar, they were off.
It was exhilarating to be flying through the night. The sky was clear, and the stars flashed by in bright white streaks overhead. The wind whistled past her ears, blowing her hair back like a multicolored streamer to flutter behind her, and she tried to enjoy it, to just give herself over to the experience of the moment, but her mind refused to empty its contents.
There was something dangerously intimate about being this close to him; it was closer than she'd been to anyone outside the Institute in longer than she could remember. Surrendering to the whim, she leaned her head against his back, trying unsuccessfully to deny how happy she was to be near him.
Remy was amazed to feel her leaning up against him. He'd been sure she would balk at getting on the bike with him, but as always, she'd surprised him. Sometimes he wondered if she really knew what she wanted- sometimes she seemed almost to like him, and other times, it was as if they were still enemies facing off for battle. He wondered, too, what it must be like, to have all those other people's lives crowding her mind. Did they ever go away? Did she lose herself among them? It wasn't anything he ever wanted to experience first hand.
Rogue pulled away from him as they came into the downtown area. Moving through the shopping district, past the mall and the movie theatre, he turned down an alley behind the Gut Bomb, and within moments, they were there.
Lestat's coffee lounge was small and dark, located on a dingy street full of thrift shops and seedy bars. Remy parked the bike right out front, and immediately Rogue climbed off. Remy offered her his arm, in true gentlemanly fashion, but she disdained it, crossing her own arms over her chest and giving him one of her looks. _Oh, now we're back to that again,_ he thought unenthusiastically; but he merely shrugged and held the door open for her.
They stepped inside, and into another world. The walls were draped with tasseled fabrics, gypsy- like; mismatched overstuffed chairs were grouped together around small tables; and the place was lit almost entirely by candles, giving it a smoky yet ethereal ambiance. He could see why she would like it- it reminded him of home in some small way, and he decided he liked it too.
A gaunt, black draped girl perched on a stool upon the stage, reading aloud from a red velvet notebook. Sparing her a glance, Rogue navigated the sea of tables and chairs with the ease of familiarity, making her way to the counter to order her coffee. Remy followed her, digging into a trench coat pocket for money. She refused to let him pay for her drink, giving him her usual scowl. The man at the register, whose name tag read 'Eddie,' looked at the two of them together, and commented "First date, huh?"
Rogue declared, quite louder than she'd intended, "We are not on a date!" She received a few curious looks from people at nearby tables, and a death glare from the girl on stage.
Remy leaned in close to her and whispered "Well, mebbe we should be, hmm chere?"
Rogue's response to that was a sound of frustration and a few choice phrases containing enough swear words to make a sailor blush. Turning her back on him, she stormed over to the farthest table in the back and slumped heavily in on of the chairs around it.
Unfazed, Remy said to Eddie "Oh, she wants me. She jus' be in denial 'bout it."
Eddie shrugged in understanding and said "Women," rolling his eyes. Then, "what's your order man?"
Remy ordered, paid, and carried both drinks to the table. As he approached, he saw Rogue looking around pensively, an unhappy expression on her face. Even though she was back to being mean to him, he wanted to cheer her up, and as he placed her coffee in front of her, he teased her. In a high, mocking falsetto, he said "Oh, Remy, yer so sweet an' wonderful, thank y' for bringin' me mah coffee-"
Rolling her eyes, Rogue muttered "Thanks for bringin' me mah coffee." But at least she was smiling.
"See now, was dat so hard chere?"
"Yes!" She retorted.
He sighed. "Why y' bein' so difficult?"
"Ah'm the one bein' difficult? Yer the one who thinks we're on a date! If ya wanna date someone so bad, why don' ya try the coffee guy? He seems ta be yer type," she commented acerbically.
"What, y' jealous?" He asked, mocking her.
"Ya wish!"
He smiled at her. "No, seriously chere, y' be Remy's type. Definitely not de coffee homme."
Mischief dancing in her eyes, Rogue came back with "Remy, Ah wouldn't date ya if ya were the last man on Earth."
Undaunted, he replied "Dat mean Remy still have a chance, eh?"
"Yer so impossible!"
"'M bein' impossible, chere," he replied, giving her a look of innocence.
Rogue couldn't help but laugh. "Swamp Rat, the innocent look don' work when ya got demon eyes!"
He just gave up and drank his coffee. She took a sip as well, and her eyes went back to scanning the room. Noticing, Remy asked her "Who y' be lookin' for?"
Rogue stared down into the oversized coffee mug held between her gloved hands as if it held all the answers in the world. Looking up at him again, face devoid of all humor, she said slowly "Ah'm lookin for Risty- mah best friend. We used ta come here all the time."
Her tone of voice hit him hard, and for the first time, he fully realized how much he cared about her. It actually bothered him to see her sad, made him want to rush out and be a hero and find her missing friend, just to make her happy again. But an uncomfortable suspicion was nagging at the back of his mind, and somehow, he didn't think being a hero in this case was going to be wise. Coming out of his thoughts, he prompted her. "Use t' come here?"
She nodded. She jus' kinda disappeared after.... well, everythin,'" she said lamely, not really wanting to bring up the battle or their roles in it. He nodded at her, feeling the same way, and she continued. "It jus' was so strange- she always told me everythin' before, so why din't she tell me she was leavin'? She was an exchange student, mebbe her parents made her go back home- but why'd she jus' go? Was she mad 'cause she found out about me bein' a mutant from the t.v.? The whole thing's jus' so weird- Ah got the address of the people she was s'posed ta be stayin with from her file at school, but I musta been wrong, 'cause there was no one there."
Softly, so quietly Remy had to strain to hear her, she whispered "She always jus' understood everythin'. Nobody's evah understood me lahke she did, an' now she's gone."
Remy just nodded, preoccupied, as thoughts swirled in his head. There had been a notation in Rogue's file about the exchange student- a very curious notation. According to immigration, nobody by the name Risty Wylde had entered the country on a student visa. Even stranger, there were no British records of her, either- not even a birth certificate. Technically, Rogue's best friend didn't exist.